The mission of a Toastmasters club
is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in
which every individual member has the opportunity to develop oral
communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster
self-confidence and personal growth.
PRESIDENT HAS ENJOYED HER OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE
President - Catherine Reuning
VP of Education - Megan Neff
VP of Membership - Connie Martinez
VP of Public Relations - Tanja Eikenboom
Secretary - Denise Hayden
Treasurer - Perry Chang
Sergeant at Arms - Kerri Daly
Past President - Robin Rueff
Let us remember those officers who have faithfully served this past year. Thank you for sharing your gifts, which brought in new members and made Peace Speakers an even better Toastmasters club.
President - Robin Rueff
VP of Education - Catherine Reuning
VP of Membership - Betsy Blocker
VP of Public Relations - Kerri Daly
Secretary - Megan Neff
Treasurer - Perry Chang
Sergeant at Arms - Eva Stimson
INVOCATION RELAYS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE
If we didn’t have birthdays, you wouldn’t be you.
If
you’d never been born, well then what would you do?
If
you’d never been born, well then what would you be?
You
might be a fish! Or a toad in a tree!
You
might be a doorknob! Or three baked potatoes!
You
might be a bag full of hard green tomatoes.
Or
worse than all that… Why, you might be a WASN’T!
A
Wasn’t has no fun at all. No, he doesn’t.
A
Wasn’t just isn’t. He just isn’t present.
But
you…You ARE YOU! And, now isn’t that pleasant!
Today
you are you! That is truer than true!
There
is no one alive... who is you-er than you!
Shout
loud, “I am lucky to be what I am!
Thank
goodness I’m not just a clam or a ham
Or
a dusty old jar of sour gooseberry jam!
I
am what I am! That’s a great thing to be!
If
I say so myself, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
And that, dear readers, fits the outlook of Peace Speakers...the kind of Toastmasters who honor individuality and people being themselves.
JOKE MASTER HAS SOME FUN
Catherine shares a few jokes that produce some hearty groans and smiles:
Did you hear the one about the jump rope? Never mind, I'll skip it.
Why did Helvetica swipe left on Times New Roman?
He wasn't her type.
Why did the fern get excused from the jury?
They found out he was a plant.
What did Delaware?
Her New Jersey.
And a bit of wisdom for your day...
Remember, you can do anything. And if you can't, you can probably watch someone else do it on YouTube!
You know, even though this Joke Master role hasn't produced any remarkable stand up comedians in our club, we are getting better at our timing, our delivery, and we just keep plugging away at the mastery of joke telling. However, I would like to see more people share funny anecdotes about their lives. I've used the Joke Master role to tell several embarrassing tales on myself, and one time I even pretended to be indignant and proceeded to outrageously advise a new member with crazy tips on how to give a speech. It surprised everyone, and I had fun doing it (even though it scared me to act out like that). So, members of Peace Speakers, I challenge you to do try something unique as Joke Master. Experiment some!
FIRST TIME TOASTMASTER MAKES HER DEBUT
Connie, our Toastmaster for the day, begins the educational part of our program with an explanation for the Dr. Seuss image she put on our agenda. Courageously facing her fears, she used the tool of humor and Dr. Seuss to lend support and encourage fun in our meeting today. She hoped it would create a more relaxing atmosphere, and it did just that!
TABLE TOPICS MASTER IS ON A ROLL
Because there was no prepared speech for today's meeting, Eric, our Table Topics Master for the day, created 2 sets of prompts for a smack-down session. The first group of questions focused on humor from our childhood, and the last group was more of a grab bag. The following are the members who volunteered to draw a prompt about childhood and give a spontaneous 1-2 minute response.
By the way, these are snippets of what people shared!
When as a child did you begin exploring boundaries? What's the best thing you got away with at any age?
Catherine claims she started exploring boundaries as soon as she could walk...if not earlier. She followed her older brother's example. If he pushed back, she would too. The best thing she got away with was when she sneaked out of a friend's window to hang out with the minor league baseball team. Neither of them ever got caught!
Describe your earliest childhood memory. Why do you think you remember it?
Robin fondly recalls a beagle-mix puppy she got from her grandparents on her 3rd birthday. She had the pick of the litter and chose the runt. The tail was a stub with a heart-shaped spot on its head. She remembers this moment because it was her first pet and this dog lived for 15 years.
Connie ponders thoughtfully and then shares that she would choose to be the age of 7 again. That was a time when her parents moved south. She didn't feel ready for this move at the time. She was lost at age 7 and wasn't prepared for or informed about this big change. Then how would she choose to be instead at the age of 7? She would be more prepared and dream about her future to be the person she wanted to be when she grew up.
Tell us about a memorable childhood injury. Was there a scraped knee, a fall, or a broken bone that really stands out in your memory?
Denise tells us that she came around a curb on a bike and broke her leg in 2 places. The bone actually stuck out, but a neighbor blocked her head so that she couldn't see it. Everyone poured into the station wagon, and on the way to the hospital they all told her she'd be just fine. The cast came all the way up to her thigh!
A vote was taken at this point for the Table Topics response that members liked the most, and Denise secured the most votes out of these 4 speakers. That meant she'd be taking on the winner of the next group by responding to one more prompt.
Kristy says she's aware that California residents balk at conserving water. However, she doesn't agree with them. There's not an unlimited supply of water, even though she's not keen on restrictions. She lived in Denver for a while, and they had similar restrictions in the summer. As long as they are fair restrictions, she'd probably do the same if she ran the world.
Ada tells us that gardening is her favorite hobby. She enjoys house and indoor plants. Her mother influenced her, and it became second nature to grow them. She has plants in all of the rooms of her home. Her son had to water them once and told her he counted 90 of them! She loves seeing them thrive. The air is cleaner, and she even names them the giver's name when they're a gift. Plants are like her kids.
Kay shares that bad drivers get her all riled up. She wishes a device was installed in people's cars that would zap them when they didn't use a turn signal or didn't go around a turning car that's blocking all of the traffic. She'd even like to have a Mack truck to lightly bump them to get them to wake up and pay attention! She's all about the flow...keeping traffic moving and people showing consideration for each other.
Eva admits that we know Trump is wealthy and powerful. Obviously, money helps to run a campaign. As far as his stand on the issues, she thinks he'd be opposite of her, which doesn't make him an appealing candidate. What would he add to the election conversation? From what she hears, not very much, even though he might impart some humor.
Another vote was taken a this point for the Table Topics talk that members liked the most, and Kay secured the most votes out of these 4. Now Denise and Kay will each draw one more prompt and speak again.
Denise shares that she grew up in a large family with 13 kids. They were often busy with summer school and didn't get to travel much on summer break. One time, they pitched 2 tents in the back yard - one for the boys and another for the girls. Mom and Dad stayed in the trailer. Dad built a fire pit and they made S'mores. They told ghost stories and pulled pranks on each other, like putting ketchup on a sibling's head and TPing the trailer. This was one of Denise's fondest summer memories.
Kay shares that growing up in her family, she and her sisters were not troublemakers. Her parents were very strict. She and her older sister would often create these outdoor fantasies with other neighborhood kids on a big hill. Her sister always played the guy part, the prince, and Kay was the princess in distress who had to be rescued. Kay was very jealous of all of the privileges another much younger sister got that she didn't get. Kay was all about fairness, and she'd split the meatballs into fractions so that all of her sisters got the very same amount.
A third vote is taken, and Kay wins this smack-down round by just 1 measly vote. Again, Table Topics has given each of us the opportunity to think on our feet and express ourselves. It's great practice and usually fun, even when you think you don't want to do it.
Great job as Toastmaster for the very first time, Connie! As a newer member, your willingness to put yourself out there and take on numerous roles is impressive.
And knowing that Father's Day is upon us this weekend, Robin also shares a poignant quote by Jim Valvano and one that is personally meaningful to her: "My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person. He believed in me."
Perhaps you are a visitor to this blog. By all means, drop in and visit us during an upcoming meeting! We are a friendly and relaxed club. Who knows, you might just enjoy yourself and come to understand why we gather together two times a month. The camaraderie, experience, fun, and growth Peace Speakers enjoy are just a few of the reasons to check us out!
OUR NEXT FEW 2015 MEETINGS:
July 1 - Conference Room B
July 15 - Conference Room B
Peace Speakers Toastmasters Club
1st and 3rd Wednesdays (usually)
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
100 Witherspoon Street
Downtown Louisville, KY
Respectfully submitted,
Kay Chambers
Blogger for Peace Speakers
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